THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602020047
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: TERESA ANNAS
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
AREA PRIVATE schools are evolving into competent curators, as they get the hang of putting together huge annual exhibits of regional artists.
One such school is Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, which opens its 9th annual art show and sale today at 1:30 p.m. The exhibit continues through next Sunday. Virginia Beach painter John Alan Stock is the honorary chairperson.
Organizers claim it's the largest indoor invitational art show in Hampton Roads, although Norfolk Academy usually includes a sizable gang of artists at its spring art show.
In any case, more than 100 area artists have handed over some 700 artworks to the school, which takes 35 percent from sales. That's a pretty good deal for the artists, too, since most private galleries take a larger cut than that.
Among the better-known artists on exhibit are printmaker Bill Ellsworth, painter Ray Hershberger, painters Louis and Susan Jones, sculptor Rita Marlier, and painters Charles Sibley, John Taylor and Robert Vick.
Last year, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy sold $34,000 worth of art, with $11,000 benefiting the school's fine-arts programs.
Today's opening reception continues until 4:30 p.m. at the lower school, 3373 Pruden Blvd., Suffolk. The show also will be on view Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday and next Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Call the school at 539-8789 for more information. VISUAL TREATS
Today from 5 to 7 p.m., The Art Atrium in downtown Portsmouth celebrates its new exhibit, ``A Salute to African-American Artists,'' with a free, public reception. Nearly 40 artists are represented with about 130 works, ranging from pottery to painting.
Gallery manager Robert Floyd III is among those showing. His 5-foot-by-3-foot ``African Heritage,'' carved from birch and rosewood, is a major narrative work. ``It's a black man looking back at his past. He sees slavery and he sees Africa - not the continent, but the things of the continent,'' Floyd said. Carved in relief are chained hands, an African fetish doll and a mythical antelope.
Also in the show is painter Charles Flynn, ceramicist Howard Johnson, abstract painter Ken Wright, figurative painter Clayton Singleton and Laurel Duplessis, who creates images from handmade paper.
Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. The show continues through March 3. Call 393-1215.
Four Portsmouth galleries are trotting artworks to ``Food is Art: A Taste of Portsmouth,'' on Tuesday night from 5 to 8. Presented by Ports Events, the event allows guests to sample succulent wares from 14 of Portsmouth's finest restaurants, from Sotto Voce Espresso to Scale O' De Whale. The galleries are Art Atrium, Artist Frame Shop, Olde Towne Gallery and Potrafka Gallery. Tickets are $15 per person; call 393-9933.
In an effort to make the area's African-American visual artists more visible - literally - the d'Art Center in downtown Norfolk has set up a series of demonstrations. Today from 2 to 4 p.m., Hampton artist-dentist Jay Watts will sculpt before the passing throngs. On Saturday, the charismatic, award-winning Norfolk painter Clayton Singleton will work on a painting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Next Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., look for Jerome White.
Other scheduled artists: Feb. 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Rod Taylor; Feb. 18, 2-4 p.m., Robin Hodges; Feb. 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Juanita Mincey; and 2-4 p.m., Teresa Brown; Feb. 25, 1-3 p.m., Maizelle Brown; and 2-4 p.m., Earnest White.
The d'Art Center, at 125 College Place, is a facility with working artists' studios and gallery space. Call 625-4211.
Since when does metal weave? New York artist Cynthia Stone has warped traditional notions about what can be done with bronze, steel and aluminum wire screening. The results of her explorations can be seen at Zeitgeist Gallery in downtown Norfolk, where a show of Stone's work opens with a free reception Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Her gallery mate this month is Virginia Beach jeweler Mary Beth Nixon, whose exquisite silver and gold jewelry, boxes and vanity sets sell only in fine crafts outlets. The shows continue through March 11. Call 622-2517 for more information. ILLUSTRATION: ``Floral Fantasy'' by Virginia Beach artist John Alan Stock will
be for sale at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy's annual show.
by CNB